A mighty Duck flying to Australia for world-class ice hockey

Drew Doughty (8) of the Los Angeles Kings checks Emerson Etem (65) of the Anaheim Ducks at a game in May. Photo: Getty Images

It’s a big call, but Emerson Etem has been labelled the most talented ice hockey player to be brought to Australia.

Etem will play for Team USA against Canada this month as part of a series of exhibition matches aimed at raising awareness of the emerging sport in Australia.

The 22-year-old is looking forward to bringing the fast and furious game to local crowds.

“I’m just happy to be coming and hopefully the game will excite people,” Etem says. “It’s a fast-paced game. There’s a lot of scoring and there’s a lot of different elements and it’s exciting. It’s an intense game. People should check it out.”

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Etem, who plays for the Anaheim Ducks, is a coup for the International Ice Hockey Exhibition series, which also is dedicated to bringing attention to and reducing the number of concussions in all sports through its partner, Spot Concussions.

US coach Keith Primeau has called Etem a “dynamic winger” who motivates his teammates to do better on the ice.

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“He has great speed and will make the USA potent on the power play and dangerous on the penalty kill. Etem played extremely well the last half of the season for the Anaheim Ducks and will be a big addition to the Ducks next season,” Primeau says.

Etem has played with the Ducks for the past two years, having been drafted in 2010’s round one.

Etem hit his first puck at the tender age of three and never wanted to do anything else. He plays at great speed off-wing and is a top goalscorer. He’s known for his “lethal accuracy” with the puck.

Etem may be “the most talented” but he will be joined by top players including Kevin Lind, Mitch Wahl, Bryan Cameron and Ty Wishart. They come from the best leagues in the world, including National Hockey League, American Hockey League and the European Champions Hockey League.

Zenon Konopka will captain Team USA and Kyle Quincey will lead the Canadian team.

Last year was the first time the teams played against each other in Australia - in Sydney and Melbourne. This year Brisbane and Perth have been added to the tour, an indication of the sport’s growing popularity.

There is a growing appetite for the sport in Melbourne. Australian Ice Hockey League games at Ice House in Docklands are regularly sold out, with standing room only available up to half an hour before they start.

The selection of young local Nathan Walker as a 2014 NHL draft pick - the first Australian to be chosen - is set to add further interest.

Ice hockey is a hugely popular sport in America, although it trails basketball, football and baseball. More than 10 million TV viewers watched the Chicago Blackhawks smash the Boston Bruins for the 2013 Stanley Cup.

The rivalry between the USA and Canada is one of the most intense in sport. Since they fought for the first Olympic ice hockey gold medal in 1920, the two countries have gone head-to-head in countless competitions. Canada has come out on top in the two past winter Olympics, winning gold in both.

The teams will bring that rivalry down under in what Etem said should be a series of heated clashes.

“I’ve played well this year and hopefully it continues," he said. "We’re going to go out hard and have fun. Every time I go out I try my best. It should be exciting.”

Etem’s knowledge of Australia is limited but he knows one thing - when he has a break he’ll be swapping the ice hockey stick for a surfboard.

“I know it’s a beautiful country, so I’m looking forward to seeing it and going surfing,” he said.

The International Ice Hockey Exhibition series kicks off in Perth on July 11. For more information visit internationalicehockey.com.au.